The illustrious surname Treffry finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Treffry is a local type of surname and the Treffry family lived in Cornwall at the manor of Treffry.

Treffry Early Origins

The surname Treffry was first found in Cornwall where "this name is derived from the manor of Treffry, in the parish of Lanhydrock, where it is traced to a very early period. " [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. The first on record was Roger Treffry about the year 1200 and 11th in descent from him in the main line was John Treffry, living in 1620.

Treffry Spelling Variations

Treffry Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Treffry, Treffrey, Treffray, Trefrey, Trefry, Trefray, Trefary, Trevry, Trevrey and many more.

Treffry Early History

Treffry Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Treffry research. Another 281 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1658, 1838, 1594, 1658, 1621, 1490, 1564, 1529, 1554, 1545, 1545, 1577 and 1643 are included under the topic Early Treffry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Treffry Early Notables (pre 1700)

Treffry Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir John Treffry (1594-1658), Member of Parliament for Fowey (1621-22); Thomas Treffry (c.1490-1564), English Member of Parliament for Bodmin (1529) and Cornwall (1554); and Thomas Treffry ( fl. 1545), English...

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Treffry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Treffry:

Treffry Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Bevil Coutney Treffry, aged 17, who settled in America, in 1922

Contemporary Notables of the name Treffry (post 1700)

Contemporary Notables of the name Treffry (post 1700)

David Treffry OBE (1926-2000), Cornish international financier, High Sheriff of Cornwall

Joseph Austen Treffry (1782-1850), born Joseph Thomas Austen, English engineer, mining adventurer, industrialist and landowner in Cornwall, eponym of the Treffry Viaduct and the Treffry Tramways

Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.

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The Treffry Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Treffry Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.